I'm working on this piece for auditions a few months from now, this helps a lot. I've had to do them in the past but not with a passage like this. Ive been worried I will end up at a plateau when it comes to speed
I'm learning this for a couple auditions, I only have a month left to learn everything 😭 It's killing me so bad, when I play slow it sounds amazing, but when I play fast, it sounds awful. Mainly just my fingers don't move as fast as they should. I guess I should just practice playing it faster ? Or split in up into parts ? And obv the tips used in the vid. But everything was a huge help ! This piece is so overwhelming I panic when thinking about it 😭😭😭😭
Another dandy set of ideas. Thank you for the weekly musical encouragement. You always make these pieces have such life. Love it! I have used the click method for years with very good success. Being disciplined in the work from slow to fast does pay big dividends. Reminds me of the super obvious student teacher tip 30 plus years ago in high school that gave me an aha moment on how to play fast passages…they just said practice slow😂. I guess it was in the timing of the instruction. It changed my habits for life. Sometimes I will try to “overclock” the speed with the metronome to get my brain over its limitations…then clicking backwards a couple can sometimes be easier. I am big fan of changing the focus on time, like when you changed from 4 to 2 ( or 1), it works great when you can feel the line/ count the line in different times as a mental trick. I learned it as focusing on the hyper meter of the piece. This helps me capture the larger phrases and keep pushing forward. It can really help me from being metronomic to capturing the intent/direction of the line. I also like how you emphasized different parts of a hard line. Similar to practicing different rhythms, I like training my brain different ways, so that when I go back to normal, I have fixed a few items. One thing I try to do is back up from the strong beats and/or areas of emphasis to ensure I am directing or leading the line to the correct resolution spots. It sometimes helps me get over the notes, since I am mentally focusing on where I am going…not the busy traffic(notes) I am currently involved with.
What do you think about practising using different rhythm patterns, i.e. dotted eighth/sixteenth (or vice versa), or eighth/sixteenth triplet (or vice versa), or beginning these patterns on say the second or third notes in the sixteenth note groupings. I find switching things up like this helps to make things smoother, especially with troublesome intervals etc.
Your welcome! I appreciate the timing of this video. I am doing the Saint-Saens at a recital in 3 months. I struggle with keeping these runs smooth, but will definitely apply your tips! Thank you!
I have a simple trick to learning hard passages. When you practice slow put the metronome to a small value. If you are playing 16nths the metronome should click to every note.. This is be best way in the world to become virtuoso. In other words you have to practice it slowly but feel the rhythm almost in a robotic way. And practice it slow for longer than you think you need. I even decrease the speed during the practice period. Perfect Rhythm can take even more concentration at slower speeds, when you understand this you have become a virtuoso.
Thank you , but whenever I tongue, I hear like an undertone , like the clarinet make a particular kind of sound... So I guess my tongue is quite heavy How can I achieve this lightness of tongue because I really an issue with tonguing
Light touch of the tip of the tongue and fast air. Also, make sure you're not using too old of a reed, and make sure the tip of the mouthpiece is not scratched or chipped. If it is you may need a new mouthpiece.
Just found your channel. Excellent! I'm a doubler, saxophone is my main instrument. I started teaching my self the clarinet in 2004. I work very hard at it...I admit I'm a swing-blues style player. My toughest battle is the right hand...not going to saxophone hand position. When that happens, what started out as a very nice jazz clarinet sound quickly becomes a squeaky mess...or no sound at all. In the house when I'm relaxed its much better, but on the gig I've had some disasters. I'm gonna master this thing if its the last thing I do. Any suggestions? I play a vintage Conn 444N from 1936. Its a large bore clarinet, is hand position easier on a small bore clarinet? Or does it not matter?
To be honest, I don't think I have ever thought about hand position between a large bore and small bore clarinet! Not sure if I ever even compared side by side. I think it may help to play finger exercises slowly as often as possible to memorize correct hand position. Good luck! I love jazz clarinet!
I'm working on this piece for auditions a few months from now, this helps a lot. I've had to do them in the past but not with a passage like this. Ive been worried I will end up at a plateau when it comes to speed
Thank you so much. I'm struggling with the 4th mov. But this mental trick counting on 2 is helpful.
I'm learning this for a couple auditions, I only have a month left to learn everything 😭 It's killing me so bad, when I play slow it sounds amazing, but when I play fast, it sounds awful. Mainly just my fingers don't move as fast as they should. I guess I should just practice playing it faster ? Or split in up into parts ? And obv the tips used in the vid. But everything was a huge help ! This piece is so overwhelming I panic when thinking about it 😭😭😭😭
Great tips thank you
Another dandy set of ideas. Thank you for the weekly musical encouragement. You always make these pieces have such life. Love it!
I have used the click method for years with very good success. Being disciplined in the work from slow to fast does pay big dividends. Reminds me of the super obvious student teacher tip 30 plus years ago in high school that gave me an aha moment on how to play fast passages…they just said practice slow😂. I guess it was in the timing of the instruction. It changed my habits for life.
Sometimes I will try to “overclock” the speed with the metronome to get my brain over its limitations…then clicking backwards a couple can sometimes be easier.
I am big fan of changing the focus on time, like when you changed from 4 to 2 ( or 1), it works great when you can feel the line/ count the line in different times as a mental trick. I learned it as focusing on the hyper meter of the piece. This helps me capture the larger phrases and keep pushing forward. It can really help me from being metronomic to capturing the intent/direction of the line.
I also like how you emphasized different parts of a hard line. Similar to practicing different rhythms, I like training my brain different ways, so that when I go back to normal, I have fixed a few items.
One thing I try to do is back up from the strong beats and/or areas of emphasis to ensure I am directing or leading the line to the correct resolution spots. It sometimes helps me get over the notes, since I am mentally focusing on where I am going…not the busy traffic(notes) I am currently involved with.
I like that last tip, thanks Jeff!
What do you think about practising using different rhythm patterns, i.e. dotted eighth/sixteenth (or vice versa), or eighth/sixteenth triplet (or vice versa), or beginning these patterns on say the second or third notes in the sixteenth note groupings. I find switching things up like this helps to make things smoother, especially with troublesome intervals etc.
It's very helpful, thanks for adding this tip to the thread!
Your welcome! I appreciate the timing of this video. I am doing the Saint-Saens at a recital in 3 months. I struggle with keeping these runs smooth, but will definitely apply your tips! Thank you!
I have a simple trick to learning hard passages.
When you practice slow put the metronome to a small value.
If you are playing 16nths the metronome should click to every note..
This is be best way in the world to become virtuoso.
In other words you have to practice it slowly but feel the rhythm almost in a robotic way.
And practice it slow for longer than you think you need.
I even decrease the speed during the practice period.
Perfect Rhythm can take even more concentration at slower speeds, when you understand this you have become a virtuoso.
Bravo!
Thank you so much for these tips, but can one perform this music in 3months from now?
Depends on what level one is at, but yes, I think that is a comfortable amount of time to prepare
And also the part that has those really fast tonguings, rather how can one handle tonguings in general?
Lots of air, light touch of the tongue
Thank you , but whenever I tongue, I hear like an undertone , like the clarinet make a particular kind of sound... So I guess my tongue is quite heavy
How can I achieve this lightness of tongue because I really an issue with tonguing
Light touch of the tip of the tongue and fast air. Also, make sure you're not using too old of a reed, and make sure the tip of the mouthpiece is not scratched or chipped. If it is you may need a new mouthpiece.
Just found your channel. Excellent! I'm a doubler, saxophone is my main instrument. I started teaching my self the clarinet in 2004. I work very hard at it...I admit I'm a swing-blues style player. My toughest battle is the right hand...not going to saxophone hand position. When that happens, what started out as a very nice jazz clarinet sound quickly becomes a squeaky mess...or no sound at all. In the house when I'm relaxed its much better, but on the gig I've had some disasters. I'm gonna master this thing if its the last thing I do. Any suggestions? I play a vintage Conn 444N from 1936. Its a large bore clarinet, is hand position easier on a small bore clarinet? Or does it not matter?
To be honest, I don't think I have ever thought about hand position between a large bore and small bore clarinet! Not sure if I ever even compared side by side. I think it may help to play finger exercises slowly as often as possible to memorize correct hand position. Good luck! I love jazz clarinet!
@@callyclarinet Thank you!!
@@callyclarinet Do you like Artie Shaw? What a great jazz sound. Also Benny Goodman, Buddy Defranco...Pete Fountain. I could go on and on.
Great job. I’ve done this with backing track but not with Tomplay. I need to learn to do this. 👏👏🎼